BREAKING: Pendleton council passes temporary sheltering ordinance
Published 8:54 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2026
PENDLETON — Homeless residents in Pendleton will be allowed to shelter overnight longer after the city council passed a temporary sheltering ordinance.
During a council meeting on Tuesday evening, council members voted unanimously to repeal and replace the city’s resting ordinance with a new sheltering ordinance. Councilors voted in the ordinance after agreeing to revisit the ordinance with possible amendments to the extended resting hours at a later council meeting. The council also voted to pass a separate exclusion ordinance.
The city’s regulations of the repealed resting ordinance aren’t in compliance with Oregon law, which resulted in a lawsuit against the city.
“We don’t believe that this is the final, perfect sheltering ordinance for the city, it’s just a step in that direction,” Emily Masatar, one attorney for the city, said.
The council gave residents an opportunity to speak in favor or against the ordinances in a public hearing held before councilors voted.
The new sheltering ordinance allows homeless residents to shelter for an extended period of 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., increasing from eight hours to 11 hours. The ordinance also removes language that prohibits people from sitting or resting on city property during the day, as long as they aren’t sheltering.
The city’s legal counsel advised that the new exclusion ordinance be separated from the new sheltering ordinance, as they were previously combined. The exclusion ordinance addresses situations where people are prohibited from city property due to a violation or crime.
A preliminary injunction hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled in late August, where a judge could grant an injunction that prevents the city from enforcing the ordinance. The new ordinances, in theory, will help the city’s case. The city will begin enforcing the new ordinances immediately.
More to come.